Here is what I can tell you about John Wooden's 1975 exit as UCLA's dominant basketball coach: I was only 3 at the time. That said, Wooden's legacy carried into one generation after another before his passing Friday at age 99.

He was not simply a Los Angeles treasure and UCLA hero. He was an American sports icon, a regal title that might not be as rare as you think. More on those "icons" later.

Was he the greatest coach in American sports history, as Sporting News labeled him last year? His 10 NCAA championships — including seven in a row from 1967 to 1973 — suggest that could be true. He also imposed a style and structure (see: "Pyramid of Success") that became revered, but never fully duplicated.

His death will hit hardest in Westwood and reverberate across America's hardwoods, blacktops, driveways and anwyere where a hoop exists. His impact on basketball and sports dynasties is undeniable.

Greater Los Angeles was lucky to claim him and bask in his legacy to this very day.

Wooden was to L.A. as (fill-in-this-blank) is to the Bay Area.

Really, how can we relate here up the coast, specifically in terms of which living legends would we be crushed to lose?

Three who jump to mind: Al Davis, 80; Willie Mays, 79; and John Madden, 74. The next generation of living legends include Joe Montana, 54 next Friday; Steve Young, 48; and Barry Bonds, 45.

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We lost our own college basketball icon two years ago, that being former Cal coach Pete Newell, who beat Wooden's UCLA squads in their last seven meetings from 1957-60.

Bill Walsh's 2007 death was mourned by thousands at a public memorial at Candlestick Park, not to mention a touching private memorial at Stanford. Walsh ranked only 26th on the Sporting News list headed by Wooden. Walsh's place should have been much higher. As for Wooden's, it seemed appropriate considering all the tributes made to him since news broke Thursday about him being on his death bed.

I can not lend much historical perspective to Wooden's coaching career considering I did not witness it. But his passing did make me think about all the living legends that exist.

Every region has their own American sports icons, like these living ones in these locales (apologies in advance for those who slipped my mind):

OK, so I missed a few names, a few cities, but go ahead and add them to the comments section.

Wooden surely belongs in that parade of names, may he rest in peace.

Look for Cam Inman's Web-only "Candid Cam" takes whenever there's a breaking sports story, or whenever Cam's got something to say _ in short, just about every day. You can reach Cam at cinman@bayareanewsgroup.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/CamInman.